GENERAL ENGLISH TIME: 3 HOURS MAX MARKS: 150
Note: Answer all the questions accordingly.
I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. 10 × (1) = 10
A stout old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small peril to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied: ‘I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.’ It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled the pedestrian to walk
down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social anarchy.
There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady with the basket, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means. It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be curtailed. When the policeman, say, at Piccadilly Circus steps into the middle of the road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny, but of liberty. You may not think so. You may, being in a hurry, and seeing your car pulled up by this insolence of office, feel that your liberty has been outraged. How dare this fellow interfere with your free use of the public highway? Then, if you are a reasonable person, you will reflect that if he did not interfere with you, he would interfere with no one, and the result would be that Piccadilly Circus would be a maelstrom that you would never cross at all. You have submitted to a curtailment of private liberty in order that you may enjoy a social order which makes your liberty a reality.
Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract. It is an accommodation of interests. In matters which do not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free as I like. If I choose to go down the road in a dressing-gown, who shall say to me ‘nay’? You have liberty to laugh at me, but I have liberty to be indifferent to you. And if I have a fancy for dyeing my hair, or waxing my moustache (which heaven forbid), or wearing an overcoat and sandals, or going to bed late or getting up early, I shall follow my fancy and ask no man’s permission. I shall not inquire of you whether I may eat mustard with my mutton. And you will not ask me whether you may follow this religion or that, whether you may prefer Ella Wheeler Wilcox to Wordsworth, or champagne to shandy.
In all these and a thousand other details you and I please ourselves and ask no one’s leave. We have a whole kingdom, in which we rule alone, can do what we choose, be wise or ridiculous, harsh or easy, conventional or odd. But directly we step out of that kingdom, our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty. I might like to practice on the trombone from midnight till three in the morning. If I went on to the top of Everest to do it, I could please myself, but if I do it in my bedroom my family will object, and if I do it out in the streets the neighbours will remind me that my liberty to blow the trombone must not interfere with their liberty to sleep in quiet. There are a lot of people in the world, and I have to accommodate my liberty to their liberties.
We are all liable to forget this, and unfortunately we are much more conscious of the imperfections of others in this respect than of our own. A reasonable consideration for the rights or feelings of others is the foundation of social conduct. It is in the small matters of conduct, in the observance of the rule of the road, that we pass judgment upon ourselves, and declare that we are civilized or uncivilized. The great moments of heroism and sacrifice are rare. It is the little habits of common place intercourse that make up the great sum of life and sweeten or make bitter the journey.
Now answer the following questions.
i) How does the author define his ‘rule of the road’?
ii) What is the author’s attitude to the old lady in the passage?
iii) What is the sentence ‘It means….curtailed’ in the passage an
example of?
iv) Which of the sentences in the passage best sumps up the author’s main point?
v) What would be a situation analogous to the ‘insolence of office’ described in para 2?
vi) What does the word ‘qualified’ in the passage most nearly mean?
vii) What does the author assume in regard to he may be as free as he likes?
viii) What does the author try to say in the sentence ‘We are all
liable …’ in the passage?
ix) Supply the homophone to the word ‘sum’ referred to in the
passage?
x) Write the part of speech of the word ‘quiet’ in the context of the
passage?
II. Read the passage given below and make a precis of it in one-third of its original length. Give an appropriate title. 1 × (20) = 20
Greatest fear of the peoples, who dwell in Southern Asia, Africa, Northern Australia, Southern Europe and South America is a short black insect called the locust, for this winged terror which breads and multiplies at a prodigious rate has, since the days of Pharaoh been the cause of more death and destruction than any human army. In these countries unfortunate to be favored by this past, utter famines the inevitable result of the visitation by this terribly vicious insect. Once it begins its devastating march, millions of rupees worth of crops are consumed, fertile land is turned into desert and entire population are left destitute and starving. Due to the consequent famine, death comes within a short time to the poor folk who had sweated and toiled over land and crops.
The chief difficulty is the amazing fertility of the insect. The female deposits her eggs in the soil in packets, each of which may contain anything from thirty to one hundred eggs. In the really tropical countries the eggs hatch in two or three weeks. Development is rapid and in one year several generations may be hatched so that a single pair of locusts alone can multiply enormously. Locust’s breeding grounds are estimated to contain millions upon millions of the insects and on one occasion a swarm in flight in East Africa measured sixty miles by three miles and even larger swarms have been observed and recorded.
It has been realized in recent years that the locust peril cannot be wiped out effectively except by concerted and coordinated efforts of every affected country and by attacking the insect before it begins its migratory flight, in other words by ruthless extermination in their breeding grounds. (286 words)
III. Rearrange the following sentences in sequential order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph. 10 × (1) =10
i) I couldn’t believe my ears, but, it was true. (5)
ii) For one, the younger generation has less respect for their
elders than the older generation had when they were younger. (2)
iii) I have seen many unfortunate changes in today’s society. (1)
iv) A person can only imagine how many more unfortunate hanges have occurred in today’s society. (10)
v) To think what used to be purchasable with 3,000 WON is now inconceivable is disconcerting. (8)
vi) Students use bad language when angry with an older person. (3)
vii)I have noticed that the prices for items have increased considerably over the past few years, another unfortunate change I have noticed. (6)
viii) The other day, I saw a middle school student use an explicative
while arguing with an elder about who should have the seat on the bus. (4)
ix) What will the prices be like in another few years? (9)
x) Kimbab, which used to be on 1,000 WON, is now 1,500 WON.
IV. Correct any TEN of the following sentences. 10 × (1) = 10
i) I asked for his book but he did not lend me.
ii) Do you sell eggs by kilo or by dozen?
iii) I am not one of those who believe everything I hear.
iv) Both of them did not come.
v) The child resembles to its mother.
vi) After the vacation, she looked very good.
vii) This drug will not effect you.
viii) He sent a word that he would come soon.
ix) She broke up in the middle of her speech.
x) Has the problem solved?
xi) The price of cars rises on par with their models.
xii) What is the time in your watch?
V. Give the synonyms of any TEN of the following. 10 × (1) = 10
i) accuse ii) bluff iii) condemn iv) deny v) endure vi) futile
vii) gracious viii) hasten ix) insanity x) jealous xi) kindle xii) lament
VI. Give the antonyms of any TEN of the following. 10 × (1) = 10
i) malice ii) nasty iii) omit
iv) perceive v) queer vi) ratify
vii) scarce viii) tentative ix) usual
x) vicious xi) wane xii) yield
VII. Fill in the blanks in any TEN of the following sentences using suitable articles / prepositions / conjunctions. 10 × (1) = 10
i) Don’t invite ……………. headache.
ii) I recommend you try ………….. tomato soup at this restaurant.
iii) Do you have ……………. dictionary that I can borrow.
iv) ……………. plan failed for want of support.
v) He is desirous ……………. marrying her.
vi) He seized ……………. the opportunity offered to him.
vii) Silkworms feed ……………. mulberry leaves.
viii) He took exception ……………. my remark
ix) ……………. you work hard, you won’t succeed.
x) ……………. you think you can, you can.
xi) ……………. had I seen the snake than I killed it.
xii) A fox appears ……………. it is a hound.
VIII. Write the correct spelling of any TEN of the following. 10 × (1) = 10
i) occassion ii) que iii) tution iv) releif v) commette vi) ameeba
vii) magnificient viii) passeport ix) contonement x) diesil xi) omlet xii) zechoslovakia
IX. Make sentences with any FIVE of the following pairs of words clearly bringing out the difference in meaning between the two words. Choose any FIVE of the pairs. 5 × (2) = 10
i) action – auction ii) affect – effect
iii) ally – alley iv) altar – alter
v) apposite – opposite vi) aural – oral
vii) berth – birth viii) bloc – block
ix) byte – bite x) cereal – serial
X. Use any TEN of the following idioms and phrases in sentences of your own. 10 × (1) = 10
i) be in a blue funk ii) be in doldrums
iii) harp on the same string iv) have no back bone
v) keep the pot boiling vi) let sleeping dogs lie
vii) return to God viii) sail under false colours
ix) shake the dust from one’s feet x) speak volumes
xi) bed of roses xii) Jack of all trades
XI. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms of those given in brackets in the following. 10 × (1) = 10
i) We ………… (complete) our examination by September, 2011.
ii) Each of them ………… (go) to a different school.
iii) My father ………..(retire) next month.
iv) It is time the bus ……….(leave).
v) Slow and steady………(win) the race.
vi) The train ……….(arrive) before we reach the station.
vii) We …………..(visit) the Sharmas this evening.
viii) The accountant and cashier ……….(go) on leave a little while ago.
ix) As soon as I …………….(put) the phone down, it rang again.
x) If you …………… (catch) the ten o’clock train tomorrow, you could be in Mumbai by supper-time.
XII. Change the voice of the following sentences. 5 × (2) = 10
i) Do not mistake me.
ii) Let me see the picture.
iii) People say the bridge is unsafe.
iv) We are going to complete it.
v) People speak English all over the world.
XIII. Identify the parts of speech of the underlined words in the following sentences. 10 × (1) = 10
i) The timely intervention of the policeman saved his life.
ii) She was quite happy to receive the prize.
iii) They never fall who die for a cause.
iv) I like to watch TV until late at night.
v) Be nice, my sweet child!
vi) After they ate, they had dessert.
vii) A comma killed a man.
viii) Which type of car did you buy?
ix) My grandmother has a beautiful flower garden.
x) Well, what you speak is exactly correct.
XIV. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions in the following sentences. 10 × (1) =10
i) What a lot of trouble I am ……….!
ii) She was operated ………..last night.
iii) I have fondness ………..traditional music.
iv) One should not be neglectful …….one’s duties.
v) She poured milk ………Nancy.
vi) Look! His car is …………fire.
vii) I prefer coffee…………..tea.
viii) You can find the answer ……page fifteen.
ix) One must take things ……….. the smooth handle.
x) Rachana is different ………..Namratha.
